


Jack's Celebrity Crush

by MaraMcGregor



Series: Celebrity Crush [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alicia Is The Best Mom, Celebrity Crush, Figure Skater Bitty, M/M, Meet-Cute, alternate universe - figure skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 19:11:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10497669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaraMcGregor/pseuds/MaraMcGregor
Summary: Jack has had a long-time celebrity crush on US Olympic Figure Skater Eric Bittle. He wants nothing more than to meet his crush and maybe take a couple of pictures. He finally gets his chance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters. They are the sole property of Ngozi.

Jack knew what the life of a celebrity was like. He grew up in the spotlight and had the privilege of calling Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux his uncles. It was one of the reasons he hated admitting that he had a celebrity crush of his own.

The second reason was because his celebrity crush wasn’t someone who was socially acceptable for him to have. Eric Bittle was four years younger than him, an American, and a figure skater. But, he wasn’t just any figure skater. He was the reigning Olympic gold medalist and two time World Champion. His free skate had four quads. Every time Jack watched him skate, his heart leapt in his throat, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

He hadn’t meant to develop this infatuation with the American figure skater. He had been bored and flipping through channels after dinner, when his mom sat down next to him and flipped to the US Nationals. It started out slow, something to watch as they sat in comfortable silence. And then, the later groups started. The announcers lost their monotones as the more skilled skaters took the ice. Jack flinched when they missed a jump. One injured himself attempting a quad that he landed wrong. The ice was unforgiving and Jack knew the pain of hitting it in full pads, he couldn’t imagine landing at that speed and angle with nothing but thin fabric to protect him. But, it was the then 16 year old that captivated the audience whose performance left Jack stunned. Eric Bittle only had two quads at the time, but the height of his jumps cleared the boards. He landed everything as if it was as easy as breathing. It came as no surprise that Bittle took the US National title and one of three spots heading into the Four Continents and the World Championships.

Jack would deny it until the day he died, but he had several posters of Eric Bittle on his walls. He kept them all at home in Montreal. He knew Shitty wouldn’t care and would be entirely supportive, bashing on the patriarchy for the idea that it wasn’t socially acceptable for a hockey player to idolize a male figure skater. But, there was just something about his little celebrity crush that felt like admitting he wasn’t straight.

Everything was going to plan until his Junior year at Samwell. That was when Eric Bittle decided to attend. He watched from a distance as girls clamored around him, begging for pictures and autographs. Eric graciously snapped selfies and chatted with his admirers. He never once took advantage of the situation and left all of his fans happy, but rebuffed.

Jack forced himself to never approach him. He wasn’t sure that he could control his gushing. And he knew the chirping would never end if the team heard him discussing how he thought Eric was robbed of several presentation points and how clearly that one landing was on one foot, the judges were blind if they thought otherwise.

But, a larger part of Jack was terrified that his celebrity crush would turn into something far more real if he actually spoke to Eric. The soft, Southern accent was addictive. It was like Jack’s ears were tuned in to the exact timber of his voice. He could get lost in the gentle laugh, the rounded vowels, and the ‘aren’t you sweet!’s.

The guys mostly thought Jack was a bit jealous that he wasn’t the most eligible bachelor on campus, anymore. After all, what’s a future hockey prospect with a colorful past have in comparison to an actual Olympian (even if he had only been 15 and hadn’t brought home any medals, at the time). Jack did suspect that Eric might not be straight. But, he was also aware that Eric would keep that underwraps at least until after the Sochi Olympics, where he was heavily favored. The Russian anti-LGBT laws were well-known in the hockey world. He was sure it was just as concerning for figure skating. Of course, when Eric returned from Sochi, he came back to college as an Olympic gold medalist. That did nothing to help Jack’s crush.

So, somehow he had managed to spend two years attending the same university as his celebrity crush, and never spoke to him. Now, he was signed to the Providence Falconers, a professional hockey player, and managed to get the A in his rookie year. In his idle daydreams, he imagined getting chosen to play for Canada and meeting Eric at the Olympics on equal footing. It wouldn’t be odd to take selfies at the opening ceremony, it was practically expected. And if he had one or two late night fantasies involving the Olympic Village and sneaking into the USA dorms … or smuggling Eric into the Canadian dorms, well he just wasn't one to share his fantasies, no matter how much of an over-sharer Shitty was.

They were lacing up for practice when management came down and called the team together for an impromptu meeting.

George smiled, “I assure you, none of you are in trouble.”

The team chuckled. Several gently nudged their teammates in the ribs with their elbows.

“We’ve been asked by US Figure Skating if we would be willing to help them out. They were going to be hosting the US Nationals at the Boston Garden. But, there were environmental issues.”

Several players winced. The worst thing in an ice rink was for there to be a problem with the temperature control.

George nodded. “It’s not pretty. They asked if the Bruins would be willing to part with their ice for the duration of the competition. But, the Bruins insisted that their schedule wouldn’t permit it. We happen to have a bye week. And we are close enough that transportation can be arranged so that the skaters don’t have to alter their hotel reservations at the last minute. So, for the next week, we’ll be scheduling practice around their competition. It’ll mean some late nights and early mornings. But, I’m sure none of us want the Falconers to be seen as unsportsmanlike.”

Jack froze. His brain locked up the moment he realized that Eric Bittle would be skating on Falconer ice. He would be sharing the arena with an Olympic gold medalist. And if he was lucky, he might get to see him skate live and make the US team for Pyeongchang. Out of all of the thoughts he had running through his head, somehow he asked, “The paint won’t bother them, will it?”

Jack felt a blush work it’s way over his cheeks and down his neck. He hadn’t meant to say anything. But he just had an image of the skaters on unfamiliar and marked ice, potentially throwing off their planned step sequences and take offs for jumps, and it had him concerned for their safety.

Georgia raised an eyebrow, but smiled as she answered. “The US Figure Skating commission assured me that we won’t have to remove the paint from the ice. These are competitive skaters that have already won their regionals. It might give some of the younger ones a tough time, but I’m sure they will adapt. The judges will be using the benches to have a good view of the rink.” With a sly smile, she continued, “If anyone is interested, the team is invited to all days of competition. I hear we’ll find out who the US Olympic team is likely to be. If you’re lucky, some of you might be sharing a plane with the medalists in a year.”

The locker room erupted into good-natured chirping. No one was going to assume that they had a shot at the Olympics before they had even made the playoffs.

Tater loudly proclaimed over the chatter, “I’m not have to worry. I’m share plane with Russian figure skaters. Evgenia Medvedeva will win gold and put shame into all others on ice!”

Thirdy shoved Tater. “That’s because of that crazy Russian training program.”

“What matters if win? Training is training. Not fault if no one else trains as hard as Russians.”

Jack couldn’t stop himself. “Russia may win in Women’s Singles. But, Eric Bittle is going to destroy the competition for the men. And I’ll bet you that Russia doesn’t even make the podium in ice dancing.”

Marty gave Jack a side-eye. “Isn’t Bittle an American?”

Jack furrowed his brow and tried to keep his panic from showing. “It doesn’t change the fact that he’s heavily favored to win. No one, not even Canada, has anything that stands up against his programs. He won the Grand Prix. Canada didn’t even make it to the final.”

Marty gave Jack a confused smile and shook his head. “I guess your love for the ice knows no bounds, kid.”

* * *

Jack debated with himself. He wanted nothing more than to get one of his posters signed. If he could just _talk_ with Eric, he was sure he would be able to package that moment and use it every time he felt low. There was just something about the aura that he gave off that seemed to radiate sunshine.

Jack pushed his embarrassment down, and pulled out his cellphone. “Maman, could you take one of the posters down from my room and ship it to me?”

Alicia didn’t answer for a moment. “Which one do you want, sweetie?”

“It doesn’t matter. Any one.”

“Finally decided that you wanted to put something on the walls of your apartment?” she asked teasingly.

“No. Well, maybe.” Jack paused at the thought of having an autographed poster in his apartment. He could get it framed. “They are moving the US Nationals to our arena because of a problem with the rink in Boston. So, I was thinking -”

“Oh, honey, how exciting! Are you going to be able to watch? Do you think it would be too much trouble if I came? I’d be happy to bring all the posters with me.”

Jack chuckled. “Maman, you don’t have to bribe me for tickets. I’m sure the front office will let me have an extra ticket. Did you want to come for all the days?”

“If you’re sure they won’t mind. And if you’re sure you won’t mind your Maman camping in your guest bedroom for a week.”

“You know I love having you over.”

“Then I’ll pack every poster and magazine you have and be down this weekend. You don’t think he’ll mind, do you?”

“George mentioned that they were going to use one of the press rooms for an autograph line. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

* * *

It was one of the best bye weeks Jack had ever had. Every moment that wasn’t spent practicing, he spent watching the best figure skating that the US had to offer. And he got to be a shameless fan with his mother. When they would get home from the arena, they would make a quick dinner and gush about their favorite routines, the missed jumps, the heartbreak, and the victories. The ice dancing had been exceptional. Jack and Alicia argued about which pairs would make the Olympic team. Technically, they could only send three pairs, and it was assumed that the three top teams would get those spots. But, the US easily had the top five ice dancing teams in the world. It was all a matter of who could clean up their routines and push the envelope before final selection.

But the highlight for Jack was sitting front row and getting to watch Eric Bittle perform a flawless short program and a jaw-dropping free skate. It was one thing to see him on TV. It was something else to see him soar above the boards from eye level. Jack didn’t think he breathed during the entire performance.

It came as no surprise that Eric took first place and sealed his spot on the US National team. What did set Jack back was the intermission day between the final awards and the gala. The Falconers were back to practice at their normal hours and taking advantage of it by holding a scrimmage. It was fast-paced and full of chirping. Tater wouldn’t stop regaling the team about the Russian women’s skater whose program was technically more difficult than anything that the US women had and easily more innovative.

It was after they had finished showering, that George made another visit to the locker room. “The skaters would like to personally thank us for allowing them to use our rink. Your welcome to head home, if you like. But the medalists are all here to say thank you, personally.”

Jack’s vision went blurry at the edges. For a moment, he couldn’t remember if his mother had planned to stay until the end of practice or not. He pulled out his phone and sent her a rapid text message asking if she had the posters to get signed. It would be so much better if he could get it done while they had some semblance of privacy. He didn’t really mind waiting in line, but he didn’t want to hold up fans while he tried to get a selfie.

Alicia texted back that she had brought everything with her while she watched practice. She had intended to stash her bag in Jack’s locker to make sure that they had everything for after the gala.

The team got dressed in their street clothes and followed George up to the main entry and ticketing. Jack deliberately stayed to the back of the line and draped one arm around his mother’s shoulders. She smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling him close. They were both lightly bouncing in excitement as the team went down the line one by one and shook hands.

Finally, _finally_ , Jack made his way down the line of figure skaters. He and his mom chatted briefly with each, doting over several of their favorites and commenting on their presentation marks. Jack forced himself to focus on the people in front of him, instead of rushing through to get to Eric at the very end. But they made it, eventually.

Jack smiled softly and stuck out his hand, “Hi, I’m -”

Eric took his hand and shook it just on this side of enthusiastic. “Jack Zimmermann, as I live and breathe. And is this your mother? Alicia Zimmermann, right?”

Alicia giggled and nodded, holding out her hand for Eric.

Eric shook it and chattered on, “I can’t believe you’re here. My goodness. I spent two years going to the same university as this boy and I never once spoke to him.” Eric glanced up at Jack, blush high on his cheeks. “I have to admit, I was a bit star struck. I couldn’t imagine just coming up to you like so many of your fans. I know how intrusive it can be when you are trying to eat dinner and people just can’t let you get a bite in. Do you mind if we get a pic together?”

Jack was blindsided by the rapid fire Southern accent. His mother didn’t let him fall behind, and dragged him to the other side of Eric and passed her phone over to George. Jack felt the figure skater tucked snugly beneath his arm and against his side. He made sure to smile, but all he could think about was the bright ball of sunshine that he had spent so long crushing on from a distance that apparently was just as infatuated with him. It was one of his more fantastical dreams come true. And he couldn’t seem to make his voice work. Jack had never been so thankful for his mother’s presence.

“Eric, Jack and I brought some things from home when we knew you would be here. Do you think you could sign some for us? You certainly don’t have to sign everything. Maybe just one or two?”

“Heavens, of course! You actually have things of me? Oh, Oh! I remember this one! This was my senior debut! This brings back memories.”

Alicia elbowed Jack and gave him a pointed look.

“I - I -” Jack stuttered, then cleared his throat. “That one was one of my favorites, too. When you pulled that quad salchow-triple toe I couldn’t believe it. And the crispness of your footwork was astonishing. I never thought a fifteen year old could do such amazing jumps.” Jack fidgeted as Eric stared up at him with wide eyes. “I knew who you were at Samwell, too. I just didn’t want to gush all over you and make it awkward.”

Eric’s blush spread to his ears and his smile was blinding. “Lord! You mean we could have met years ago and we were both so determined to not go overboard that we missed the chance?” He laughed, high and bright. “I’ve been hoping to have a chance to meet you. I’ve thought about coming to one of your games. And I may have been keeping track of your stats in the hopes that maybe we could meet at the 2018 Games.”

Jack couldn’t stop the smile that split his face. “You too? I always hoped to get to meet you on equal footing.”

Alicia had snuck her phone back from George and quietly recorded their conversation. She was keeping this for posterity, and to share with Bob when she got home to Montreal. Realizing that the boys would keep staring at each other without an extra push, Alicia decided to help things along. “Well, Eric, have you ever been to Providence? I’m sure Jack knows a few places around here for a good dinner.”

“Maman?”

“Oh, thank you, ma’am. But, I couldn’t possibly intrude on your family time.”

“Nonsense. I’m going to head back to Jack’s apartment and enjoy a nice bath. You boys should catch up. After all, you spent two years at Samwell together. Jack could tell you about how he ran the lacrosse team out of the Haus during one particularly epic Epikegster.”

Eric looked between Alicia and Jack before giving Alicia a wink. “I definitely missed some of the more impressive Haus parties. They were supposed to be legend. Mr. Zimmermann, I do believe your mother has given you the mission of making sure I enjoy my free night in Providence. Surely, you don’t want to disappoint her?”

Jack struggled not to pinch himself to make sure this was real. He gazed down at Eric and replied, “I’m never one to disappoint. Italian or French?”

“Someone Quebecois recommending French cuisine? This I have to see.”

Jack made a mental note to send his mother the absolute best gifts for Christmas, Mother’s Day, her birthday, and every minor holiday in between.


End file.
